Table 5.
Symptoms and interventions at dying, place of death in people with advanced dementia (n = 85).
| Factor | N (%) (N = 32) |
|---|---|
| Interventions (Painful Interventions Scale; n = 29) | |
| Phlebotomy (venous blood test) | 4 (14) |
| Arterial blood gas testing | 3 (10) |
| Central line placed | 0 (0) |
| I-V drip/catheter | 3 (10) |
| NG or PEG inserted | 1 (3) |
| Urinary catheter inserted | 4 (14) |
| Pressure sores | 8 (28) |
| Mechanical ventilation/CPAP or BIPAP | 0 (0) |
| Circumstances (n = 29) | |
| Expected eventa, yes | 26 (90) |
| DNAR form present, yes | 27 (93) |
| Palliative care referral, yes | 10 (34) |
| Palliative care saw patient, yes | 8 (28) |
| Primary cause of death (n = 21) | |
| Aspiration pneumonia/chest infection | 11 (52) |
| Congestive cardiac failure | 1 (5) |
| Dementia | 7 (33) |
| Cancer | 2 (10) |
| Place of death (n = 32) | |
| Nursing home | 26 (81) |
| Own home | 1 (3) |
| Acute hospital | 5 (16) |
I-V: intravenous; NG: nasogastric; PEG: percutaneous entero-gastrostomy; CPAP: continuous positive airway pressure; BIPAP: bi-level positive airway pressure; DNAR: do not attempt resuscitation order.
a
Determined by consensus discussion with family carers (where available), care home staff and primary care team.